Bag filling device

ABSTRACT

The flaps of a stack of plastic bags are clamped by a releasable clamp below the exhaust nozzle of the blower of a packing device, in such position that the airflow blows the top of the outermost bag open away from the stack; above the bag is a feed chute or guide adjustably mounted on the top of the blower, having a pivoted half on a transverse pivot so that it may swing outwardly away from the blower; skirt flanges extending from the lower edge of this pivoted half project into the opened bag so as to keep it open when the pivoted half is swung outwardly by the package or item to be packed; on each side of the pivoted half is a hinged flap swingable outwardly to hold the sides of the bag open when a wider package or article is dropped through the feeding guide; the pivoted half is sufficiently wide to extend substantially beyond the sides of the stationary half of the guide.

Williams Apr. 17, 1973 [s 1 BAG FILLING DEVICE Donald S. Williams, 1705Notre Dame, Belmont, Calif. 94002 22 Filed: Nov. 10, 1971 21 Appl.No.:197,214

[76] inventor:

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No.869,431, Sept. 11,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1964 Gerbe .53/385 9/ 1965Fleigher et a] ..53/189 Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGeheeAtzorneyGeorge B. White ABSTRACT The flaps of a stack of plastic bagsare clamped by a releasable clamp below the exhaust nozzle of the blowerof a packing device, in such position that the airflow blows the top ofthe outermost bag open away from the stack; above the bag is a feedchute or guide adjustably mounted on the top of the blower, having apivoted half on a transverse pivot so that it may swing outwardly awayfrom the blower; skirt flanges extending from the lower edge of thispivoted half project into the opened bag so as to keep it open when thepivoted half is swung outwardly by the package or item to be packed;on-each side of the pivoted half is a hinged flap swingable outwardly tohold the sides of the bag open when a wider package or article isdropped through the feeding guide; the pivoted half is sufiiciently wideto extend substantially beyond the sides of the stationary half of theguide.

9 Claints, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEB APR 1 7 E973 sum 1 0F 3 INVENTOR.DONALD 5. WILLIAMS L ATTOENEY PATENTEUAPR 1 Y W 3'. 727. 374

sum 2 BF 3 INVENTOR DONALD 5. W/LL /AM 5 ATTOPME Y BAG FILLING DEVICEThis'is a continuation-in-part application of copending application Ser.No. 869,431, filed Sept. 1 l, 1969.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Previously on bag fillers of the typewherein compressed air is utilized for blowing a bag open, the feedingguides or chutes above the bags were actuated by complicated rocker armsand devices, frequently involving complicated control systems with manymovable parts. In another type of apparatus the bags are stackedhorizontally and blown open and mechanical feeders are utilized to pushthe items into the bags.

The primary object of the invention is to furnish a guide in which thepivoted half of the guide is swung open by the weight of the item to bebagged, and wherein this swingable portion is adapted to hold the top ofthe bag open for receiving the item to be bagged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feeding guide and also aconvenient support for the stack of bags below the guide which can beeasily adapted or mounted on blowers for perpendicular bagging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view partly in sectionshowing the feeding guide and the bag in coacting position.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the bagging device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the bagging device showing the item to bebagged in broken lines passing from the feeding line into the bag.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the guide in the position shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the bagging device after the bagged item isdropped on a support below.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental partly sectional view showing the clamping of thetop flaps of a stack of bags in position.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the stack of bags clamped in position.

FIG. 8 is a fragmental perspective view showing the bag support in bagloading position.

FIG. 9 is a fragmental view showing the slideable bag support.

FIG. 10 is a fragmental perspective view showing the detail of theadjustable mounting of the feeding guide.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the feeding guide collapsed.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the feeding guide extended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION A usual blower 1 has a casing 2 with a front wall3. In the casing is the usual electric motor 4 which drives a fan orblower 5, as shown in FIG. 1. The air blown passes through an outletpassage 6 and through a nozzle opening 7 for blowing open the top of abag 8 positioned below the nozzle 7.

One of the improvements in this invention is-a feeding guide 11, a fixedhalf 12 of which is provided with a pair of studs 13 and wing nuts 14for engagement with forked brackets 10 shown in FIG. 2 to support thefeeding guide 11 in suitable adjusted position relatively to the opentop of the bag 8.

A swinging or pivoted guide 15 is pivoted on a pivot 16 transverserelatively to the position of the bag 8 thereunder and of the fixedguide 1 1 so that the swingable guide 15 swings from the top pivot 16outwardly on an are which will bring its lower edge 17 substantiallyinto the open bag 8 to further stretch it open into the position shownin FIG. 3. A comparatively light spring 18 anchored at one end of thefixed guide 12 and at the other end to the swinging guide 15 below thepivot 16, as shown in FIG. 1, urges the swinging guide into the initialcollapsed position shown in FIG. 1, in which position the swinging guideconverges downwardly toward the bottom of the fixed guide 1 1 so thatthe article to be bagged drops on the inclined swinging guide.

The lower edge 17 of the swinging guide 15 has a lip 19 extendinglaterally and downwardly into the top of the bag 17 substantially asshown in broken lines in FIG. 4 to engage the adjacent topedge of thebag 8 and stretch the bag fully open so that the item, such as.

meat, food products, or other goods to be packaged, represented by thearticle 21 indicated in broken lines in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, can freelydrop into the open bag 8. The weight of the article 21 dropping into thebag 8 tears the bag 8 off the flap 22 so that the bagged article dropsdown onto a suitable support, such as an adjustable bracket 23 mountedon the wall 3 of the blower l, or upon any other support on conveyorthat may carry away the packaged article.

The bags 8 are provided in a stack 25, the flaps of which are suitablyperforated. The legs 26 of a U- shaped loop extend through holes in theflaps 22 of the stack 25 and then are inserted in holes 27 in ahorizontal flange 28 of an angle bracket .30 mounted on the verticalwall 3 of the blower 1 below the nozzle 7. The middle portion of thebracket 30 adjacent the wall 3 is suitably slotted for slideablyreceiving a spring bow 29 the top of which is formed into claws 31fitting over the stack of flaps 22. I

The feed chute or guide is formed generally in a frusto-conical shapewith a narrow end nearer to the bag 8. In order to accommodate largerarticles of substantially rectangular cross-section, the swinging guide15 is provided with pivoted flanges 32 on each side thereof. The hingedflanges 32 are adapted to be pushed outwardly into the position shown inFIG. 4 to further spread the bag laterally in order to accommodate alarger package.

In operation the fixed guide 12 is mounted at a suitable height by theadjustable studs f3 and wing nuts 14 and is f xed in the adjustedposition, so that the lip 19 at the bottom edge 17 of the swinging guide15 is in proper position to project into the top of the open bag 8 Theflaps 22 of the stack 25 are placed on the flange 28 so that the legs ofthe loop 26 are inserted in the holes 27 of the horizontal flange 28.Thereupon the claws 31 of the spring bow 29 are pressed down over theflaps 22 to hold bags 8 in proper relation below the nozzle 7. Then themeat or other product or article is simply dropped into the top of thefeed chute or guide I] and by its weight pushes the swinging guide 15outwardly thereby to stretch the open top of the upper- 1 most bag 8 ofthe stack 25, previously blown open, to

the extent necessary to receive the article 21 to be packed.

The bracket 23 is adjusted to the desired height as heretoforedescribed. When the bag is to be filled with unpackaged loose items,such as string beans or like produce, then the adjustable bracket 23 israised to support the bottom of the opened bag until the bag is filled,whereupon the bag is pulled ofl the flap 22 manually.

The modified form shown in FIGS. 8 to 12 shows the fixed half 34 withinwardly bent flanges 35 to accommodate pivots 36 in more trulytransverse position with respect to the guide. The swinging guide 37 isconsiderably wider and is provided with straight edges 38 to overlap theoutside of the flanges 35 to a considerable extent thereby to reduce thepossibility of spilling sidewise. The lower end of the fixed guide isprovided with a wide notch 39 at about the nozzle opening 7 to directthe air inwardly of the guide and downwardly to accelerate the spreadingopen of the bag.

The bag support in this form includes a guide plate 41 spaced below aguide bar 42 and also spaced from the face of the front wall 3 of thecasing 2 by spacing washers 43 as shown in FIG. 9.

The bag support has a sliding flange 44 and a curved support flange 45,which latter is located in the space between the guide 41 and guide bar42 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The flange 44 fits in the space between the guide 41 and the front wall3 and the sliding of the flange 44 is limited by a limit screw 46. Thecurved flange 45 has a pair of spaced holes through which extends theloop 26 heretofore described, which also extends through holes in thebags. For loading the bags, therefore, it is not necessary to reachunder the fixed guide, or even to raise the feeding guide to permit theloading of the bags. The sliding flange and support 45 are simply pulledout as shown in FIG. 8 and the legs of the loop 26 are extended throughthe holes in the stack as heretofore described. Thereafter the entiresupport can be slid into position beneath the feeding guide.

lclaimi 1. An attachment for a packaging device having a downwardlyblowing blower nozzle on a casing having a substantially perpendicularwall below said blower nozzle, and a stack of bags supported onsaid'wall below the nozzle, said bags being held with their open endsadjacent said nozzle so that the outermost bag is partially blown openand being separable from said stack,

said attachment comprising,

a stationary generally perpendicular guide of substantiallysemi-circular cross-section,

vertically adjustable means for mounting said stationary guide on saidcasing above and adjacent said nozzle and in registry with saidoutermost bag so that the concave side of said guide faces away fromsaid casing and the lower end of said guide extends below said blowernozzle,

the vertical edge portions of the concave side of said guide beingadapted to accommodate opposite pivots near the top of said stationaryguide,

a swingable guide opposite the concave side of said stationary guidebeing pivoted near its top on said opposite pivots so as to normallyhang over and cover said concave side and overlap the outside of saidstationary guide and be swingable away from said perpendicular wall,

said swingable guide in its initial position being inclined downwardlyand converging towards the lower end of said stationary guide so as tobe engaged by an article dropping through said guide and be swung awayfrom said stationary guide by the weight of said article thereby toaccommodate the size of said article.

2. The invention specified in claim 1, and

' said vertically adjustable means including,

a bracket on the top of said casing having a vertical forked portion,

and fastening means extended from said stationary guide through saidforked portion, and being slideable in said forked portion for securingsaid stationary guide at an adjusted height.

3. The invention specified in claim 1, and

spring means below said pivots having its ends anchored respectively onthe stationary guide and on the swingable guide for normally drawingsaid swingable guide into overlapping relation over the outside of saidstationary guide.

4. The invention specified in claim 1, and

the sides of said swingable guide being of sufficient width to overlapthe entire lower portion of said stationary guide in the closedposition.

5. The invention specified in claim 4, and

the free edges of said stationary guide being formed into oppositegenerally parallel flanges, and said pivots being in the upper portionof said flanges on an axis parallel with the adjacent face of saidcasing. a

6. The invention specified in claim 1, and

means supporting a stack of bags on said perpendicular wall including,

a guide below said nozzle transverse with respect to said wall,

a bag support slideable longitudinally into said guide,

and releasable means to hold a stack of bags on said support.

7. The invention specified in claim 6, and

said slideable support having a curved flange with spaced holestherethrough extended away from said perpendicular wall, and beingadapted to accommodate a U-shaped leg extensible through holes of saidstack of bags.

8. The invention specified in claim 1, and

swingable side flanges on opposite sides of the lower portion of saidswingable guide being swingable laterally outwardly by the articledropped on said swingable guide for spreading the bag laterally toaccommodate said article.

9. The invention specified in claim 1, and

said stationary guide having an opening therethrough adjacent saidnozzle to direct air from said nozzle for accelerating the spreadingopen of the bag.

1. An attachment for a packaging device having a downwardly blowingblower nozzle on a casing having a substantially perpendicular wallbelow said blower nozzle, and a stack of bags supported on said wallbelow the nozzle, said bags being held with their open ends adjacentsaid nozzle so that the outermost bag is partially blown open and beingseparable from said stack, said attachment comprising, a stationarygenerally perpendicular guide of substantially semi-circularcross-section, vertically adjustable means for mounting said stationaryguide on said casing above and adjacent said nozzle and in registry withsaid outermost bag so that the concave side of said guide faces awayfrom said casing and the lower end of said guide extends below saidblower nozzle, the vertical edge portions of the concave side of saidguide being adapted to accommodate opposite pivots near the top of saidstationary guide, a swingable guide opposite the concave side of saidstationary guide being pivoted near its top on said opposite pivots soas to normally hang over and cover said concave side and overlap theoutside of said stationary guide and be swingable away from saidperpendicular wall, said swingable guide in its initial position beinginclined downwardly and converging towards the lower end of saidstationary guide so as to be engaged by an article dropping through saidguide and be swung away from said stationary guide by the weight of saidarticle thereby to accommodate the size of said article.
 2. Theinvention specified in claim 1, and said vertically adjustable meansincluding, a bracket on the top of said casing having a vertical forkedportion, and fastening means extended from said stationary guide throughsaid forked portion, and being slideable in said forked portion forsecuring said stationary guide at an adjusted height.
 3. The inventionspecified in claim 1, and spring means below said pivots having its endsanchored respectively on the stationary guide and on the swingable guidefor normally drawing said swingable guide into overlapping relation overthe outside of said stationary guide.
 4. The invention specified inclaim 1, and the sides of said swingable guide being of sufficient widthto overlap the entire lower portion of said stationary guide in theclosed position.
 5. The invention specified in claim 4, and the freeedges of said stationary guide being formed into opposite generallyparallel flanges, and said pivots being in the upper portion of saidflanges on an axis paRallel with the adjacent face of said casing. 6.The invention specified in claim 1, and means supporting a stack of bagson said perpendicular wall including, a guide below said nozzletransverse with respect to said wall, a bag support slideablelongitudinally into said guide, and releasable means to hold a stack ofbags on said support.
 7. The invention specified in claim 6, and saidslideable support having a curved flange with spaced holes therethroughextended away from said perpendicular wall, and being adapted toaccommodate a U-shaped leg extensible through holes of said stack ofbags.
 8. The invention specified in claim 1, and swingable side flangeson opposite sides of the lower portion of said swingable guide beingswingable laterally outwardly by the article dropped on said swingableguide for spreading the bag laterally to accommodate said article. 9.The invention specified in claim 1, and said stationary guide having anopening therethrough adjacent said nozzle to direct air from said nozzlefor accelerating the spreading open of the bag.